Just....why?
SD15 was at her friend's house yesterday. Well, said friend has a nice little batch of kittens they are trying to get rid of because they are irresponsible pet owners who do not take the time or money to spay their cat (this isn't this cat's first litter, by far).
So yesterday evening, after SD15 had been sickeningly sweet to me since she got home from her friend's, SD15 tells me, "So, I have a deal to make with you! Dad said to talk to you." At this point, of course, my first thought is "What the hell is this going to cost me?" SD15 then goes on to tell me that she wants one of her friend's kittens, and she is willing to clean the litter box for my cats and feed and water my cats. I tell her no! Seriously...the girl could not take care of hermit crabs! But also, would not be fair to the kitten, as my youngest cat will NOT allow another cat into this house...she has made this clear (I have three...there was a mother and daughter pair I adopted...not from a shelter, but someone who couldn't care for them...which I soon found out both were pregnant, so I raised two batches of kittens and found homes for them, kept the runtiest runt of the two batches, and spayed all 3 of them....the runt has since become the boss...think it's the siamese gene as even being the runt she grew to be bigger than her mother and older sister). One of BD23's friend's rented a room from us for a while until he could get his own place, and he had a cat....whenever that cat got out of the room, the siamese would jump on it to try to beat it up, and naturally momma and big sis would join in the fun. Was not pretty!
Of course, SD15 tried to argue that she would keep it in her room, yadda, yadda. Told her it wasn't fair to the cat to be locked up in a bedroom 24/7. I also asked her where she planned on getting the money for shots, spaying the cat, litter, food. SD15 claimed that the cat didn't need to be spayed because there were no boy cats in the house! Oh, so I'm supposed to deal with this cat howling her butt off all night long every time she goes into heat! Oh hell no! I also brought up that SD15 only had 3 more years left of school, and what happens if she goes on to college, as she is not leaving her cat here for me to take care of? SD15 says she could probably take it to BM's and she will take care of it! I wanted to laugh so much at this statement.
So, DH comes home and asks me if SD15 talked to me about what she wanted. I told him I didn't like that he sent her to me to be the bad guy. HE is the one that always says we have enough and as these animals start to get old and pass on, we may consider not replacing them...mostly because it is getting harder and harder to find someone to pet sit whenever we want to go anywhere, because all of BS19's dependable friends are going off to school, too. Of course, SD15 started begging dear daddy to make me change my mind. DH brought up the same arguments I did. DH then tried to bring up again that maybe SD15 should just adopt one of my cats if she wants a pet of her own that bad. I again jump up and say "HELL NO!" I have taken care of these cats for a little over 8 years now...putting my money into their care, taking my time. Momma is no less than 10...going into her senior years. Older sis is about 9, and the youngest is 8. No way is SD15 just going to take one away from me...keep it locked in her room away from the other two that she is tightly bonded to because they have been their own little colony for so long...and not feed or water the thing! OH HELL NO! These 3 already make it perfectly clear every evening who they belong to (they surround wherever I am sitting all day...taking their turns hopping up in my lap). I can't believe DH even suggested that AGAIN, knowing how I feel about it.
In the end, the final answer was no, and of course SD15 turned back into super b***h for the rest of the night!
Good for holding your ground.
Good for holding your ground. Pets are not playthings for kids. You need to be responsible to take care of them. Once the cutesy factor novelty has worn off,I am sure she would lose interest. Cats need to be taken care of- they can get old: 14/18... My friend just buried her cat - 19!
Exactly! And depending on
Exactly! And depending on genetics, as they get old, you may have to tend to certain health issues!
Had a Maine Coon that we put down a couple of years ago. It was BD23's cat for the most part...we had him since she was 4. I took care of him until she was old enough to start doing things on her own...and she took very good care of him. He was her baby!! But Maine Coons have certain health issues in their old age, and even when we were forced to send BD23 on her way, she cared enough about him to ask if I could care for him, because she knew he didn't need to be bounced around until she got her act together (he was already getting hip problems at 10...average age for his breed is 12 and hip issues were common for his breed). My girls didn't have any issue with him...because he was in this house before they were, and being the only male cat, he quickly made sure they were under his command...LOL. I loved how the girls actually took care of him as he got into his final months...they would bathe him, huddle up around him to keep him warm...it was like they knew their "king" way dying. When we put him down at 14...he was deaf, and had started to go blind. In the end, he was quite a bit of work. After BD23 got her act together, she would come visit him regularly, and she went with me to put him down...she never really abandoned him. She has another cat now, but still keeps a picture of her baby where she can always see it.
Remember than her brain is
Remember than her brain is not fully developed yet lol. Skids want what they want when they want it. DH sent her to you because he knew if HE made a decision and it wasn't to your liking, he would have hell to pay. My DH does it all of the time and I just want the skids to ask their father, not me, lol.
Tell her in simple terms that the "runt" siamese will beat up on a kitten and it's not fair to lock a kitten in her room all day. Keep it simple.
We all know that in a few months when that kitten is a cat, she will lose interest in it and not take proper care of it.
NO.
~ Moon
Oh I did tell her that! The
Oh I did tell her that! The siamese's name is Girlfriend...and I flat out told SD15, "Girlfriend WILL beat up the poor thing if brought into this house!" She tried to argue with me, "She wouldn't hurt a kitten!" Man...girl does not get that the animal kingdom doesn't play by human rules. I then told SD15, "You're right...Girlfriend wouldn't 'hurt' a kitten...she'd KILL it!"
And you are right...it is all cutesy now because it is a kitten. But what happens when the cutesy phase runs out, and she has a cat? She has been known to lose interest in things. Pets are not like a toy that can be tossed in the corner when you are bored with it! They are living things that you make a commitment to for as long as 20 years in some cases! Unless you are willing to make that kind of commitment, you don't need a pet!
i am shocked that your DH
i am shocked that your DH didnt back you up and put you in this position. what a pussy.
Kinda like that idea. See
Kinda like that idea. See what happens to all the animals of irresponsible pet owners...be it the pets themselves or the spawn of their pets because they refuse to get them fixed and just let them roam.
Oh, and actually having to hold an animal during euthanization? I don't think she can do it. Both BD23 and I love animals, but we couldn't stay for the vet putting the Maine Coon down. The vet gave us the option of being there during his final moments, but we were both already so upset...we wanted our last memory of him being what it was...big boy being his usual mean self at the vet and trying to get into the treats (the one thing that didn't go with his age was his smell, and he wanted those treats). It was crazy...all the problems that cat had, and he was holding on! His health went south fast. But again, he was 2 years older than the average age for his breed, so....
Yeah, buy her a
Yeah, buy her a tamagotchi!!!
I'm quite annoyed your DH suggested she adopt one of your cats. If my SO ever suggested that, there would be hell to pay!
LOL...that so reminds me of
LOL...that so reminds me of BD23! She had a Tamagochi when she was younger. OMG! She was obsessed with caring for it! So much that she would make me promise to babysit it at work because she wasn't allowed to take it to school, and was afraid it would get hungry.
That is the other thing. SD15
That is the other thing. SD15 doesn't keep her room clean (goes months without washing her clothing), and we are supposed to believe her when she says she will clean out the litter box every day? HAHAHAHAHA! I'm not about to have the whole house smell like cat pee because she isn't cleaning out the box! I clean out my cat box daily...and will actually do it twice a day, if needed. There are many cats that are picky about their box (and my siamese is one of them)...if the box is too dirty, they will go elsewhere.
I would be waiting for your SD to start complaining about the cat peeing on her clothes because the box is too dirty. LOL That stuff does not come out nicely in the wash!
My DH actually had the nerve
My DH actually had the nerve to ask me last night if I would share my goats with SD12, let her name one and help take care of them and shit.
I have wanted goats for several years and I am finally in a position to be able to get them. I have reserved two doelings with championship diary bloodlines and have been paying for them out of MY book money (even though I make a nice salary at my day job that goes to the upkeep of the house). My doelings are due to be born in August and will come home in November.
Dh wants SD12 to have "some kind of hobby." Since she has a history of being mean to animals, I can guaran-DAMN-tee you it will NOT be MY goats or ANY of my other animals.
It's funny how some take the
It's funny how some take the responsibility of pet or animal ownership so lightly. "Just let her adopt one of your cats." Seriously? Like you said about the goats...you are spending your money on them, and you will be investing your time. I've invested 8 years into my cats...my time and money...not DH's...mine. The particular one that SD15 keeps wanting to say is hers got sick with a really bad respiratory infection. Luckily, I work from home, or I would have had to take time off of work. But I had to take time helping the poor thing breath...getting it to take its meds...sitting in a steamy bathroom to help clear them up to breathe...cleaning her eyes with a warm wash cloth every hour to get the nasty off of her face...etc. This went on for a week! You think SD15 would have taken that kind of time and care with a sick cat? Oh heck now! Picking up her own crap out of the TV room is too much work!
Same with your goats. There will be care and feeding, shots, etc. I seriously do not see your SD taking any interest in that unless they are are already into ag!
She's not into ag. She's not
She's not into ag. She's not into ANYTHING except drama and drawing attention to herself. I wouldn't doubt if she hasn't whined to my husband wanting to be "in on" the goat thing just because she's always jealous if I'm happy about ANYTHING.
I am sooo thankful I got an education and a career since it sustains this overactive middle finger I was born with. Cause, like usual, my answer is a big, fat, WICKED, OH HELL NO!
And what about the CAT'S
And what about the CAT'S feelings??? You belong to your cat as much as your cat belongs to you. It would be so UNFAIR to the animal, as well as to you, to just let her claim it as her own. Good lord, these disney dads drive me up a damn wall.
how anyone, especially a
how anyone, especially a child, can be mean to an animal is beyond me. an animal is the one thing in these kids lives that would actually give them attention and unconditional love if they were simply kind to them.
Yup...but to too many, it is
Yup...but to too many, it is just another play toy! "Oh...look at the cute kitty/puppy!" Then, the animal grows up, and the kid wants nothing to do with them any more..when they realize it is actually work! Oh, you mean you have to feed it? You have to take it outside or clean a litter box? Oh, you need to find someone to care for it if you aren't going to be home?